The Woman who Only Spoke Using Quranic Verses

The undermentioned incident is narrated by Hadrat Abdullah bin Mubarak radi Allahu anhu. He was a man of great learning and he lived in the era of the Abbasids.

An elderly Arab lady was sitting alone at the trunk of a tree and Abdullah bin Mubarak also happened to pass that way. Seeing this lady in distress, he spoke to her. The discussion is recorded as follows:

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Asalamu alaykum wa Rahmatullah.

The lady: The word from a merciful Lord is peace [Ya Sin 36/58]. She meant that the reply of salaam is from Allah, Most High, Himself. She said further: Those whom Allah sendeth astray, there is no guide for them. [Araaf 7/186]. She meant that she had lost her way.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Where are you coming from?

The lady: Glorified be He who carried His servant by night from the Masjid al-Haraam (inviolable place of worship) to Masjid al-Aqsa (Far distant place of worship) [Israa 17/1].

Abdullah bin Mubarak: How long have you been in this place?

The lady: For three nights [Maryam 19/10].

Abdullah bin Mubarak: What arrangements are made for your food?

The lady: And who (Allah) feedeth me and watereth me [Shu'ara 26/79]. She meant that her food was provided to her by Allah.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Is there any water for wudhu?

The lady: And if ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and (make tayamum) rub your faces and hands (therewith). [Nisaa 4/43]. She meant that she made tayamum because there was no water.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Here is some food, partake of it.

The lady: Strictly observe the fast till nightfall [Baqarah 2/187]. She indicated that she was fasting.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: This is not the month of Ramadan.

The lady: And he who does good of his own accord (for him) lo! Allah is responsive, aware [Baqarah 2/158]. Meaning that she had observed an optional (nafl) fast.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: It is permitted to break the fast when on a journey.

The lady: And that ye fast is better for you, if you did but know. [Baqarah 2/184].

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Speak in the manner that I speak.

The lady: He (man) uttereth no word but there is with him an observer ready [Qaf 50/18]. She meant that since every word of a person is observed and recorded, she took precaution by speaking only in the words of the Quran.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Which clan do you belong to?

The lady: Follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge, lo! The hearing and the sight and heart of each of these it will be asked [Israa 17/36]. She meant that he should not inquire about that which he had no knowledge.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Forgive me. I have certainly made a mistake.

The lady: Have no fear this day. May Allah forgive you [Yusuf 12/92].

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Would you like to travel on my camel and meet your caravan?

The lady: And whatsoever good ye do, Allah knoweth it [Baqarah 2/197]. Meaning that if he if he did this good deed, Allah would recompense him for it.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Well, then you may mount it. Saying this he made the camel sit down on the ground.

The lady: Tell the believing men to lower their gaze. [Nur 24/30].

Ibn Mubarak understood, turned, and looked away. While she was mounting, the camel jerked, and her clothes got tangled in the saddle and she proclaimed: Whatever of misfortune striketh you, it is what your hands have earned. [Shura 42/30]. In other words, she was calling Abdullah bin Mubarak’s attention towards this mishap.

Abdullah bin Mubarak understood and he tied the legs of the camel and he straightened the straps of the saddle. She praised him for his understanding by saying: And we made Sulayman to understand [Anbiya 21/79].

When the journey was about to begin, the lady recited the ayat, which are read when undertaking a journey, Glorified be He who hath subdued these unto us, and we were not capable (of subduing them). And lo, unto our Lord we are returning. [Zukhruf 43/13].

Abdullah bin Mubarak held the bridle of the camel. He began to hum the Huddi, a famous Arabic song for travelling, and he started walking quickly alongside the camel.

The lady: Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice [Luqman 31/19]. Abdullah bin Mubarak understood, so he began walking slower, and he lowered his voice.

The lady: Recite of the Quran that which is easy for you [Muzzamil 73/20]. She meant that instead of humming the Huddi, he should recite the Quran.

Abdullah bin Mubarak began reciting the Quran.The lady became very pleased and said: but none remember (accept advice) except men of understanding [Baqarah 2/269].

After reciting the Quran for a while, Abdullah bin Mubarak asked, O Aunt, have have you a husband (meaning is he alive)?

The lady: O you who believe, ask not of things, which if they were made known unto you, would trouble you [Ma'idah 5/101]. Meaning, he had most likely passed away.

At last, they caught up to the caravan.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Do you have any son or relative in this caravan that has connection with you?

The lady: Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world [Kahf 18/46]. She meant that her sons were with this caravan and they had provisions with them.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: What work are your sons doing for the caravan?

The lady: And landmarks, and by the star they find a way [Nahl 16/16]. She meant that her sons were guides for the caravan.

Abdullah bin Mubarak: Can you tell me their names?

The lady: Allah chose Ibrahim as a friend [Nisaa 4/125]. And Allah spoke directly unto Musa [Nisaa 4/165]. O Yahya! Hold fast the Scripture [Maryam 19/12]. By reciting these ayat, the lady had informed him that her sons were named Yahya, Ibrahim, and Musa.

Abdullah bin Mubarak called out these names in the caravan and immediately three young people came walking quickly over to them.

The lady: (addressing her children) Now send one of you with this your silver coin unto the city. And let him see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof [Kahf 18/19]. In other words, she instructed them to feed bin Mubarak.

When the food was brought, she told Abdullah bin Mubarak: Eat and drink at ease for that which ye sent on before you in the past days. [Haqqah 69/24], and with this ayah she recited another ayah to convey her gratefulness to him for his good conduct and courtesy. The ayah was: Is the reward of goodness anything other than goodness? [Rahman 55/60]. And their conversation ended on this ayah.

The lady’s son informed Abdullah bin Mubarak that his mother has been speaking in this manner, using only the ayat of the Quran in her speech, for the last 40 years.

Before the great oak came the seed!

'The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground'- Anon

Seize The Moment

Ten to five and still I was not done. Anisa was heading out the door when she yelled over her shoulders, "Don't forget, the show starts at seven."

"I'll be there," I called back.

"That's what you said last time," she grumbled, "and you didn't show. Can't that wait until tomorrow? This night is really important; you have to be there."

"Don't worry, I just have a few more i's to dot and t's to cross," I said, trying to sound convincing and sincere. She looked at me. "Okay, but if you miss my performance I will never forgive you."

"I will be there, I promise."

She blew a kiss and left the room. I smiled to myself. I was quite proud of Anisa. Of all my friends, she was the most quiet, timid and reserved person I had ever known. She had some real self-esteem issues when we first met due to her misfortunate upbringing. But she has changed. Ever since she volunteered at a shelter for homeless kids, she has blossomed. A year ago today, I could not get her to speak in front of our sisters' group, now she's performing on stage for an audience at the Islamic Convention for Women Against Violence!

I quickly delved back into the pile of files on my desk. Obsession with completion and accuracy has always been my problem. I could stay up all night perfecting a perfect document. Now was no different. I was just closing the last file with a smile of achievement when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Fatimah Abdul Kadir?"

"Yes."

"Are you a friend of Anisa Mahmoud?"

I gasped. "Anisa!" I looked at my watch, ten-thirty. I did it again. Where had the time gone? She'd never forgive me this time.

"Yes, I'm her friend."

The gloom in the speaker's voice began to frighten me. My heart began to race. "Is she okay?" I asked feebly.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but she has been killed in a car accident. We will need you to come and identify her body."

Dead! Anisa was dead! How could that be? I hung up the phone and sank into the couch. Allah have Mercy, I broke a promise. I let her down by not being there for her and now I can't tell her I'm sorry and how proud I was of her for her achievements. Why didn't I seize the moment when I had the chance? How could I let my obsessions occupy me so much that I could not make it to her final performance?

The next day, the papers were filled with praise and sorrow. They told of a promising, guiding light for disadvantaged children of the inner city, which was put out by a drunken driver when he slammed into her car as she was driving home from the Alpha Theater, where she gave a stunning performance. A young lark, she learned to fly – and now she has flown away never to return.

A True Pioneer

A True Pioneer

When mama decided to leave the city to raise her children in an islamic environment, her husband at the time, Brother Fateen supported her whole heartedly. She left us with trusted friends while she went out the first time to get the desert ready for us. I stayed with her friend, Sis Halimah Mu'min while Mas and Lehm stayed with sister Khadijah Fuqua. When mama set her heart on something, she went into it wholeheartedly. When she first told Brother Fateen her plans of buying land and moving to the desert, he said okay. He left her that morning and when he returned home that evening she had sold the house and was in the process of selling off furniture. A group of them, my mom, step-dad and a couple of friends, rode out together. When they got to the property my mom had purchased, all that was out there was "land". They arrived in the night. All hyped up about the move, they laid out a large tarp and laid out their sleeping bags. They were going to sleep out under the Allah (swt) big beautiful star filled sky. Mama was on cloud nine. As they laid under the starry sky, it was not long before they began to hear the pitter patter of small feet. When they turned on the car lights, they saw mice scattering around. That ended the first night of the fearless settler attitude. They slept that night with their head lights on, while my mom had slept in the vehicle they came in. The next morning, when they picked up the tarp they had slept on, they noticed they had been sleeping on an ant hill. Mama used to laugh and say "Allah (swt) protects fools and babies" every time she recalled this story. Her first night in the desert did not deter her from wielding that land and making it our home for the next ten years. She learned to live with the mice by letting us have cats. She was the fittest woman I knew, at the sound of a rattle or rustle, she could sprint from 0mph to home in a few seconds. My mom faced the hardships that presented itself living in a harsh environment like a true pioneer. No sacrifice was too large for her to make if it meant the well being of her children. Ironically, this was not her last pioneering move. Our story continued!